


Anthropologist's Report: On the Nature of the Family Units of Sentient Machines From Outer Space, redux

by dragonofdispair



Series: Roads [32]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-01
Updated: 2008-05-01
Packaged: 2018-02-26 19:26:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2663588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonofdispair/pseuds/dragonofdispair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel's thoughts on Transformer families, part two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anthropologist's Report: On the Nature of the Family Units of Sentient Machines From Outer Space, redux

In my last report on transformer families I mentioned that, though most transformer family relationships are built closer to the lines of human friendships, there were very few family units that had been built and designed as family units -- "Brothers created" was the term they used.

I didn't try to explain what that meant in the previous report for two reasons. First is that that report was focused more on the adoption of humans into the Autobots' family. And second, at the time I couldn't grasp what this meant because though "brothers created" is probably an accurate term as they understand the definition, there is no human equivalent. 

Since the two Autobot seekers, Air Raid and Fireflight, arrived, I've been able to ask questions to partially clarify the matter.

But before we can get into the more complicated variations of transformer families, I think a clearer definition of transformer sparks is in order. You know from my report on their usage of English words that "spark" is the the English term they chose to refer to their souls. Now the reason the term "spark" was chosen instead of "soul" is that transformer sparks are nothing like human souls. That's not to say that transformers are soulless, in that they lack morals or are defined completely by their programing the way a machine is. The difference is in the definition of the terms, not in a moralistic sense.

A human's soul is a spiritual construction, immaterial and believed to be immortal. Individually a human's definition soul is closely linked with the individual's religion or philosophy.

A transformer's spark on the other hand is a physical and quantifiable part of their physiology. On the surface that seems like a such a simple concept, but the ramifications are so alien that it's very hard to grasp. And most of the more complicated familial relationships are based on linking or sharing sparks on one level or another. Can you imagine literally sharing souls with another person, to the point that the only difference between yourself and that person is perceptional, and yet maintaining a definition of self? I can't.

So how this relates to transformer families -- the five Autobots that first landed on Earth shared a family bond that could be compared to a group of intimately close human friends. Such family bonds do not involve the sparks except in that the spark defines a transformer's personality, and such family units form among compatible personalities.

The second level of intimacy in family units, and the first level of creating family units from creation, is where a group of transformers were designed by their creator to stay and work together. This also doesn't involve the sparks, except that somehow there was a way to request of the Allspark sparks that had compatible personalities, which insured the family would stay together without more intimate bonds.

Next is the first situation that involves sparks in a real significant way: "Bonded" and "gestalt-bonded". This is when two, or more, transformers in one of the two family situations above decide that they are compatible enough to share their sparks. The difference between "bonded" and "gestalt-bonded" is, as far as I can tell at this time, in the intent of the bond, the expectation in the relationship between the involved transformers.

A Cassetticon's bond with his master is also a sort of spark bond. The Autobots don't know the exact mechanics involved to produce the effects it does, but they say that the backlashing effect is only possible with a spark bond of some kind.

Gestalts are a variation on the created family group, except instead of just asking the Allspark for compatible personalities and programming them to act as a team, they are bonded before being activated. Such individuals never have a definition of self that doesn't include their brothers. And not only can they not imagine what it's like for their souls to be completely separate from each other's, most can't imagine wanting to. The linking of their sparks allows them to know that the others are alive at any distance, even if the rest of their status is unknown. Each member is also irreplaceable. If one is killed, that mech cannot be replaced in the family unit. The remaining members are still a gestalt, but a broken one. Both Air Raid and Fireflight talked about broken gestalts as though it were the worst fate imaginable. 

Air Raid and Fireflight are two members of a five person gestalt -- the other three are alive, presumably together, and most likely coming here.

What I still don't understand is the reason behind creating gestalt families. I'm told that gestalts are especially useful in a battle, and creating them became much more common on both sides since the war broke out. But it sounds like gestalt families have always existed and their usefulness as battle units just made them more common.

What the Autobots call "twins" is even more intimate. Twins are rare -- the Autobots only know of three sets which may or may not still be alive. Twins happen when a single spark splits into two before being placed in a shell. Though they are each a different person, with distinct personalities, they are each half of the same spark. One mentioned consequence of this is that twinned sparks need to be placed in similar shells or they drive each other crazy. Other consequences aren't often discernible by non-twins, and all documentation has been obliterated by the war.

Rather sparse on the details, I know. Strange as it sounds though, one thing that Autobots do share with humans is the fact that familial concepts are the basis of their culture. Nothing can be considered without also considering one 'bot's relationship to another's.

 

fini report

 

recorded transmission during a training battle...

(begin recording)

 

F-16 Pilot 1: Fuck!

F-16 Pilot 2: What the --!

(pause)

F-16 Pilot 3: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! Thought they were on our side this go-round!

F-16 Wing Commander: They are! Fireflight's just a BIRDBRAIN!

Air Raid: Pay attention, 'Flight! 

Fireflight: I'm sorry. I thought I saw something.

Air Raid: Shiny, sparkly or just an interesting color?

Fireflight: Frag off.

Air Raid: Or have you finally suffered a total cognitive function failure? Glitch in your visual cortex?

Fireflight: Kiss my tailpipe.

Air Raid: Make me, you gear-stripped little retrorat

Fireflight: Fine, slagger.

(plasma fire)

F-16 Pilot 2: Fuck.

F-22 Pilot: (laughing) You can say that again.

F-16 Wing Commander: You. Off this channel.

Base Control: Status Report!

F-16 Pilot 3: SNAFU.

F-16 Wing Commander: Air Raid and Fireflight got into another fight.

Base Control: (sigh) Training mission ended. Return.

F-16 Wing Commander: Copy.

F-22 Wing Commander: Copy.

(transformation sound) (CRASH!)

Fireflight: Fragging Primus, Raid, what -- ?

Air Raid: Can't shoot me now!

F-22 Pilot: Holy shit! Did -- ?

F-16 Pilot 3: -- Air Raid just crash into and grab Fireflight? Yes he did.

Fireflight: (screech!) --gged spawn of a -- (screech!) --ticon and a microwave!

Air Raid: (laughter)

F-16 Pilot 2: You can just feel the brotherly love.

(turbines shriek) (CRASH!!!)

(pause)

F-16 Pilot 1: Ouch. Hope their medic's in a good mood.

F-16 Pilot 3: Ratchet? Never.

Fireflight: (static-groan) I hope you're happy with yourself.

Air Raid: (snicker)

 

(end recording)

 


End file.
